One of my favorite trees in the world, standing resolute in the frigid cold. The wind was whipping, which meant waiting quite some time for a lull when I could capture the tree and the snow in their utmost detail. The thick crust made for a hard surface on which little snowy dust clouds would just dance in the wind.

I love the Shenandoah in winter, though the roads are often closed, making most of the park largely inaccessible. Knowing a section of the road was open this day, I was able to do two of my favorite short hikes in the snow, a rare treat. December 2020.